The use of humor can have a variety of positive effects in treatment. It can increase therapeutic rapport, energize and revitalize both client and therapist, and foster an environment more conductive to deeper healing. Through story telling, clinical vignettes and audience participation, attendees will discover new and valuable ways to use humor appropriately in clinical practice. With Howard Richmond.
Humor in the serious realm of psychotherapy? This lively presentation, filled with anecdotes and clinical illustrations, will explore the rationale for and practical application of humor in cognitive therapy. Both cognitive therapy and humor can create change in the central aspects of human experience—cognitions, emotions, behaviors, and physiology. The presenter will explore how humor can be a powerful tool for both diagnosis and treatment, and will differentiate between empathic and hostile styles of humor. With Steven Sultanoff.
EP09 Dialogue 16 – Humor in Therapy – Cloe Madanes, Lic. Psic and Jeffrey Zeig, PhD
Educational Objective: Given a topic, to describe the differing approaches to psychotherapy, and to identify the strengths and weaknesses of each approach.
Cloé Madanes (2009) Strategic Therapy with a Couple demonstrates with a young couple who is conflicted about holiday celebrations and vacations. The husband has wounds from his past that resonate with family holidays. He also wants to be more a part of his wife “inner circle” with her son from a previous marriage and vacations challenge him in this area. Madanes uses humor, insight and emotional connection to guide the couple to an accepting compromise.
Underachieving adolescents present a significant challenge to the therapist. Traditional therapies are often slow and may be ineffective and frustrating both to the therapist and the client. Provocative Therapy is an active humor-based therapy that often elicits significant changes quickly. Case studies will help illustrate principles and techniques therapist can use with adolescents and other client who may present a challenge.
This short course will use theory, techniques and group experience to demonstrate how playful self-expression, humor and self-soothing indulgent fantasy can be used in and outside the therapeutic setting to produce spiritually uplifting trance states. We will learn how to discourage "learned helplessness" and "burn out", encourage the ability to cope with life's challenges and increase opportunities to enhance the body's natural immune system functioning.
This workshop will cover a broad range of problems presented by couples - from the most common to the most difficult, including such issues as violence and difficulties with money. The strategies presented will range from simple straightforward directives to paradoxical techniques and the use of humor.